The project at a glance

St. John’s University is partnering with Jabra to equip classrooms across three campuses with Jabra PanaCast for a more immersive virtual learning experience.

Solution: Jabra PanaCast

• Crystal-clear Panoramic4K resolution

• 180-degree view of any classroom space

• Easy, plug-and-play functionality

• Compatible with all leading Unified Communications platforms Benefits

• Fast and seamless set up for IT teams and teachers

• Expansive field of view across any classroom shape or size

• Delivers an engaging learning experience – no matter where students are located

The landscape of learning has changed

When the pandemic first forced classes online, remote learning became just a highly simplified, digitized learning experience. In the hustle to get students up and running online, schools rushed implementations and the virtual learning experience suffered as a result. In fact, 44% of students said that poor audio and video was affecting their learning, in an April 2020 survey from Jabra.

For many teachers around the world, flexibility is the key to delivering effective learning experiences under these unusual circumstances. With many schools around the world currently unable to operate in the usual way, the traditional classroom set-up is being redefined, as tried-and-trusted teaching methods become much more difficult, especially when teachers have to stay seated at their desks to operate their virtual classroom. Now, with new insights on best practices, schools can design better experiences that maximize virtual learning and transform into a full extension of the classroom.

Across campuses worldwide, colleges and universities have had to adapt to fully remote and hybrid learning models by implementing creative solutions that allow both teachers and students to excel. While some institutions are fully remote, conducting 100% of their classes online, many are opting for a hybrid model. Regardless of the model, the landscape of learning has changed, and technology now plays a bigger role in education than ever before. While video solutions were once a “nice-to-have” in classrooms, the global pandemic and the shift to hybrid learning models have made them a “need-to-have.”

Reinventing the classroom for hybrid learning

Grappling with how to best accommodate its students, St. John’s University in Queens, New York opted for a hybrid learning model for the fall semester. In this model, the professor teaches from the classroom with some students taking class in-person and some joining classes online. While this model gives the flexibility needed during the pandemic, it creates a unique set of challenges in how to best accommodate the students, so the class stays together and learns at the same pace, regardless of where they are located.

“COVID-19 forced an entire transformation of our business model,” said Anne Pacione, Chief Information Officer at St. John’s University. “We needed to quickly figure out how we could operate in this hybrid format. When the pandemic forced classes online in the spring, we began formulating plans to improve operations for the fall semester to ensure the success of the hybrid learning model. We knew video capabilities would be a critical component of bringing the classroom online.”

With three campuses and over 20,000 students, St. John’s University needed to figure out the best way to accommodate all students whether they would be taking their classes online or in person. Regardless of where students are located, the university wanted to make sure they have the best possible learning experience. Making sure students are staying engaged and focused in class can be challenging even in normal times, and in order for virtual learning to be effective, it’s even more important to have the tools and solutions that minimize distractions and keep students involved.

When the university first made the shift to remote learning, many teachers were using their laptops’ built-in video capabilities or using web cameras with a limited field of view, therefore restricting their flexibility and ultimately detracting from the lesson’s effectiveness. Looking to add value through enhanced video capabilities, St. John’s University set out to identify video solutions that captured the entire classroom in their field of view, were easy to use, could be deployed quickly and unified the learning experience for students and teachers.

Enhancing the learning experience with video

St. John’s University deployed Jabra PanaCast cameras to enhance its hybrid learning model, help students and teachers connect more meaningfully and ensure no student is hindered because of their location. Covering every part of the classroom, with no visual distortion, the

Jabra PanaCast ensures that teachers can interact with all students, in person and online, and provide students at home with a consistent experience.

As the world’s first Panoramic-4K plug-andplay video solution, the Jabra PanaCast offers a full 180-degree view and automatically includes everyone in the conversation – even if students are more spread out in the room to maintain social distancing – with its Intelligent Zoom function. The camera automatically zooms to the individual speaking, bringing remote and in-person students closer together and making sure all students feel involved.

“With so much going on in the world, it is important for educators to have the ability to meaningfully connect with their students, especially when they cannot be in the same room,” said Aurangzeb Khan, senior vice president at Jabra. “With Jabra PanaCast, everyone in the classroom – remote or inperson – is given a front row seat to the lesson.”

Creating a full 180-degree wall-to-wall view of the classroom, the Jabra

PanaCast gives teachers the flexibility to get up from their desks and allows them to walk around, write on the whiteboard and use their learning aids. The plug and play nature of the Jabra PanaCast also makes video-based teaching easy and collaboration simple. With one click, teachers can start the class, using their preferred conferencing platform, activate unparalleled video quality, spent on IT issues, the more time spent teaching.”

Education from anywhere

The Jabra PanaCast has given professors the capability to turn any online class into an immersive learning experience and unite students no matter where they are located. Since roll out over the summer, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The success with this set-up has and collaborate seamlessly with students regardless of their location.

“Our goal is to take care of the technology, so professors can focus on what really matters,” Pacione said. “The Jabra PanaCast requires no learning curve; faculty can simply press start and begin their class. That’s a win-win for both the IT team and our professors – the less time proven instrumental during this unprecedented time and reaffirms the value of video capabilities in the classroom. As the university looks to refresh its AV portfolio, the success with the Jabra PanaCast over the last few months has made St. John’s University’s decision easy and it is now looking to change its standard classroom setup to feature the cameras.